Lane Kiffin discusses ‘stupid system’ allowing multiple transfers in offseason

Lane Kiffin is clearly not a fan of the transfer portal system as it’s currently constructed. With the way the calendar works, players can transfer multiple times in an offseason.

The biggest example of that recently was Five-Star+ offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor leaving Alabama for Iowa this offseason after Nick Saban’s retirement. On an NIL deal, it was a big win for the Hawkeyes, but he elected to re-enter the portal just a few months later and plans to go back to Alabama.

Kiffin can’t fault the players or even his own at Ole Miss because everyone takes advantage of the transfer system. But that doesn’t make it any less ridiculous.

“Just a really stupid system, but hey, good for the players, maybe,” Kiffin said. “I mean it’s good for them financially. I don’t know that it’s really good for them and they know they can leave anytime and whenever something goes wrong, just gonna run, no matter what. But I think what you’re gonna see, and I said this when they first started this, you’re gonna see people and maybe, you just have one high profile player that I’m gonna go somewhere in January. 

“I’m going to get their money. I’m going to have never played a down as a transfer. And I’m going to go back in right after spring ball into the portal and go somewhere else and get their money.” 

Kiffin was all about players, his and others, getting paid what they’re worth in college football. But there’s still no standard regulation of NIL or the portal.

“So I mean, you say yeah, good for the players,” Kiffin said. “It’s good financially for them. But is that really good for college football? You’ve created a system, so you can’t really blame them. You’ve created a system that you can just keep getting money basically at the end of every semester somewhere else and switch spots as many times as you want. 

“You know, let me go try out this school and take this spot and you know, make a deal with their collective and then I’m gonna try out this one if it doesn’t, you know, I don’t get as many balls I want or it doesn’t go my way, that’s not good.” 

The Proctor example is just the start, according to Kiffin. You haven’t seen anything yet!

“And I think you’re gonna see that, I think you’re gonna see players that just signed in January, that are going to go back in, having taken the money which is fine, and go another place,” Kiffin said. “And it’s not necessarily because they had a terrible spring. It’s just because the system allows that.”

Contracts could be the next step before too long. Or at least how Kiffin puts it, transfer rules should dictate players stay at a school for a minimum a full year if they transfer. Not just a semester.

“I brought it up in meetings when they first (did this) … you better make something where you have to sign for a year,” Kiffin said. “So all these portal players that after last season go in at least they signed for one year, you know, not one semester without playing in the offseason … Would that happen in the NFL? Hey, go sign in the offseason after the season and get a contract and get paid and then before you ever play and go somewhere else.”

But in the end, until something changes, coaches like and players like Proctor will keep taking advantage.

“I have these rants on this thing but because it’s really a (expletive) system,” Kiffin said. “It is. Now we’re going to utilize it just like the players use it. I’m not mad at the player. They’re gonna utilize the system, we’re gonna utilize it and make the best roster that we can but it’s not good.”